This invention pertains to low cost disposable composite fabrics, including elasticized fabrics, and a method and apparatus for making the same. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with at least one non-random laid continuous filament web joined with one or more melt blown webs, wherein the melt blown fibers of a first melt blown web intermingle with filaments of the non-random laid continuous filament web or intermingle with the fibers of a simultaneously deposited second web on the opposite side of the non-random laid web.
There has been a desire and great need in the disposable garment and diaper field for low cost disposable composite fabrics, including elasticized fabrics. The fabric should be:
1. elastic to provide a tight yet comfortable fit;
2. water repellent to retain fluids, yet be breathable to allow exchanges of vapors through the material;
3. have high bulk yet be soft, drapable with good hand and softness; and
4. opaque for use as disposable garments.
In addition there is a great need for a high strength fabric, low in cost and permitting fast stride-through of body fluids, which fabric can be formed by utilization of low cost machinery and an economical process.
The formation of the various prefabricated fibrous webs referred to herein is performed with the use of melt blowing techniques for forming fibers. These melt blowing techniques for forming fibers from thermoplastic resins, elastomeric fibers and non-elastic but elongatable fibers, can be prepared by known techniques as described in an article by Van A. Wente entitled "Superfine Thermoplastic Fibers" appearing in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Vol. 48, No. 8, pp. 1342 to 1346.
Another publication dealing with melt blowing is Naval Research Laboratory Report 111437 dated Apr. 15, 1954. According to this publication, the melt blowing process comprises heating a fiber forming resin to a molten state and extruding it through a plurality of fine orifices into a high velocity heated gas stream which attenuates the extrudate to from the melt blown fibers. This process is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference and relied upon.
This invention relates to provisions for solutions some of these needs.